A Delta Airlines flight attendant has filed a lawsuit against the airline for $75 million following a serious incident involving a plane that flipped upside down at Toronto Pearson International Airport on February 17, 2024. The attendant, Vanessa Miles, claims the airline demonstrated “recklessness” and “gross negligence” in its operations, particularly regarding safety protocols.
In the federal lawsuit filed in the Eastern District of Michigan, Miles alleges that Delta compromised safety by hastening pilots through training programs, which led to an inexperienced flight crew being assigned to the flight. This mismanagement reportedly placed passengers at significant risk. On the day of the incident, as many as 21 passengers aboard the flight from Minneapolis sustained injuries when the aircraft overturned on the tarmac.
According to the lawsuit, Miles experienced a harrowing ordeal. She was hanging upside down and unconscious in the aircraft when she regained consciousness. Describing the scene, she stated she was drenched in jet fuel and surrounded by smoke. The lawsuit indicates that when she unbuckled her seatbelt, she fell to the ceiling of the inverted plane. Upon exiting, she alleges she fell more than six feet to the ground due to the failure of the emergency slides to deploy.
Just two minutes after the evacuation, the aircraft erupted in flames. Fortunately, all 80 individuals on board managed to escape before the fire broke out. Miles now faces serious challenges, having suffered a traumatic brain injury and a fractured shoulder as a result of the incident.
Investigators from the Transportation Safety Board of Canada reported in March that the aircraft descended too rapidly, causing the landing gear to collapse upon touchdown. The lawsuit further alleges that Delta and its subsidiary, Endeavor Air, did not adequately train the flight crew on emergency evacuation procedures, which compounded the chaos during the evacuation.
In response to the lawsuit, a spokesperson for Delta Airlines stated that the company will not comment on ongoing litigation but continues to fully support the investigation conducted by Canadian federal authorities. The case raises significant questions about airline safety practices and the responsibilities of carriers to ensure the well-being of both crew and passengers.